Progressive Lawyers Forum, PLF, have condemned in strong terms the move by some 11 constitutional lawyers who have filed a suit calling for the removal of the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, over what they claimed was predicated on money laundering and illegal employment in the apex bank.

In a press conference held at the Sheraton Hotel in Abuja, the national coordinator of the PLF, Barrister Andrew Idachaba lamented that the uproar and controversy being generated in the media over the performance of Mr. Emefiele, no doubt, called for great concerns among stakeholders in the Nigeria project.

The forum, he said, shared in the economic pains and reality that many Nigerians are passing through at the moment, but strongly believed that “the nation will soon overcome these challenges if we extend total support to those at the helm of affairs.”

Idachaba stated that the most painful of such attacks on the personality of the CBN helmsman came from 10 constitutional lawyers who for lack of briefings decided to sue and prosecute the CBN governor for money laundering and other offences.

“We seen this development as not only flimsy but childish. We of the Progressive Lawyers Forum (PLF), condemn in totality this move, particularly as it is coming from our learned colleagues.

“We want to believe that they were sponsored by elements that are not comfortable with the rising profile of the CBN governor who from all indications has enjoyed the support and backing of Mr. President, as well as the international finance community.”

The forum also viewed the legal action against the CBN governor as a distraction and said it was a project that was bound to fail and will die on arrival, simply because they have no case to justify their action.

“We are not here to defend the CBN governor, but we are here to condemn this present attitude of Nigerian lawyers who are losing their focus and reputation by the day, instead of fighting and protecting their damaged image, they now resort to pedestrian prosecution which will take them nowhere.”

The PLF coordinator said Mr. Emefiele had indeed contributed a lot to the management of the economy through various CBN economic sustainability programmes since he assumed office, and that in the past few months he had alerted the nation on some critical issues and measures to take, and thus proven the critics of his leadership wrong when the eighth Senate backed up his economic policies recently.

Indeed, CBN under Mr. Godwin Emefiele deserves more of our supports to re-position Nigeria in the face of these global economic uncertainties and the time for such collective support is now. They paid glowing tribute to the CBN boss for his spectacular role during President Muhammadu Buhari’s historic visit to China where the issue of the Nigerian currency, Naira and the Chinese currency, Yuan were put in proper perspective.

The PLF also passed a vote of confidence on Emefiele and called on Nigerians to disregard the legal action by the so called 10 constitutional lawyers due to lack of evidence. They strongly believed that changing the CBN governor at this particular point in time will not be a solution to the economic crisis bedevilling the nation.

The CBN governor is on track, he is a consummate technocrat whose pedigree cannot be questioned and we believe he has a lot to contribute to the economic recovery of the nation as such all stakeholders in the economic sector and Nigerians should rally round him to support the present government’s quest to diversify the nation’s economy. (NAN)

•Photo shows Emefiele.

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